How congested are European cities? 

According to the INRIX Index, the top 3 worst countries for traffic across Europe are:  Belgium, Netherlands and Italy . The Top 25 worst traffic cities across Europe in 2011 were: Milan, Italy, Brussels and  Antwerp, both in Belgium.

How bad is traffic? Where are the worst places and the worst times to drive? London or Manchester? New York or L.A.? On the M25 or the M6? Monday morning or Friday evening? How does UK traffic compare to France’s or Germany’s? The INRIX Traffic Scorecard provides a comprehensive analysis of the state of traffic congestion across the world. Click on any of the interactive charts and rankings to produce customized data views.

Drawing on five years of trend data, this 2011 Annual Report documents that traffic congestion across Europe and North America dropped 20 percent last year compared to 2010. Of the 15 countries analysed in the 2011 report, Portugal experienced the biggest decline (-49%) and the United States (-27%) experienced the biggest declines. By looking more closely at the Eurozone, the countries impacted the most by the European debt crisis mirror those with the largest drops in traffic congestion. Portugal (-49%), Ireland (-25%), Spain (-15%) and Italy (-12%) were among those with the largest declines last year. Despite being considered the strongest European economies, troubles across the Eurozone fuelled declines in Germany (-8%), Netherlands (-7%) and Belgium (-3%). In comparing 2011 to 2010, France showed no change.

More info:

INRIX scorecard (dynamic link)

Background information:

Library summary: Congestion charge is in the public interest / Geert Plas (internal link): court decision on the congestion policy in Milan.

An institute in America has tried to calculate the monetary and time value of traffic congestion / T & E

Library navigator on Road pricing (congestion charge)(internal link)

Selection of documents on congestion charge in the EP Library collection (internal link)